WHO: Roxana Rouhani and Jess Aldrick WHEN: September 15 WHERE: Roxana's flat. SUMMARY: Catching up on recent events after work. WARNINGS: Sexy implications STATUS: Complete
For all that Roxana had been relieved to be out of Woodsbridge during whatever had been happening, the fact that she'd left Jess behind to deal with what she'd only expected to be beginning-of-semester madness and had turned out to be something more like murder had been gnawing at her. So she was relieved when Jess had agreed to come over for drinks after work and catch up. It wasn't as if Jess had a power or skill that put her at risk in the hunt for Nora Carson, but the idea of the wolves and deer in the Woods becoming feral and rabid--or at least murderous--was disturbing and frightening. It made Roxana's fox instincts to run and hide light up.
So when Jess arrived, Roxana hugged her extra tight, and showed her with a kiss how happy Roxana was to see her. "Come on in. Tell me how you've been, and about everything, and I'll show you what I got you in the duty-free."
All told, it had not actually been that long since Jess had seen Roxana. The fact that it felt like forever had nothing to do with the actual timeline, and everything to do with the absolute insanity of the past few weeks.
Fortunately, Jess had survived it mostly unscathed, if saddened and a little frightened at the prospect of the chaos that seemed to be breaking over their little town.
But all of that was unimportant now; what mattered was greeting Roxy properly, and Jess stepped close to kiss her back and then slide past her into the apartment.
“I’m all right,” she assured, going to sit on the couch. “By the grace of...something. It’s been madness around here; you have impeccable timing, avoiding it all.”
"It is my talent, after all," Roxana said with a smile, one that didn't quite match the concern in her eyes. "I'm glad you got through it in one piece. That poor girl." Sobered for a moment, Roxana shook her head. "But--do you want something to drink? I'd offer you a snack but the fridge is still bare. That's the downside of travel. You live like a college student. Nothing in the refrigerator but beer and condiments." Roxana made a face at that. Takeout was all well and good, but she did occasionally like to try for a healthy meal.
There was a bag sitting on the kitchen counter with the duty free logo that had to be the aforementioned gift.
“Yes, but I never fail to be impressed, nevertheless,” Jess replied, though she sobered again quickly at the mention of the death, her expression falling. She hadn’t known the girl personally, of course, but it was still terribly sad. “Her poor family,” she agreed with a sigh. “I’d like some water, actually, if you don’t mind? And I’ll make you dinner some night this week, you can’t live on condiments alone. I’m sorry I didn’t think of that sooner, you could have come to mine.”
She’d noticed the bag, of course, but Jess wasn’t one to press. Roxy would offer it to her in good time; really, she was just happy to see the other woman.
"I'd like that, Jess." And there was that special smile that Roxana reserved only for her: a hint of softness that nobody else got to see. "And yes, water, I can still do that much." She turned to the cabinet to get a glass for Jess, and said, "You'll want to check that bag. I hope you like what's in it."
That secret hint of softness, that was what had made Jess fall for Roxy. The woman was incredibly capable and impressive and all the sorts of things that she was attracted to anyway, but knowing there was something just a little sweet underneath it all?
That sort of thing was Jess’s kryptonite.
“Will I?” she asked, smiling back as she got up and walked over to it. “You didn’t have to get me anything, you know!”
Over the noise of the ice clinking into the glass, Roxana said, "I know I didn't have to. I wanted to, though. It made me think of you."
Carefully, Jess lifted the perfume from the bag and studied i. The box was a little intimidating, with its clearly masculine appearance, but the bottle itself was a beautiful thing, and when she opened it to sniff delicately at the contents, she smiled a little, impressed. Warm and luxurious, and in all honestly, it reminded her of Roxana, and that was not a bad thing. “I’ve never smelled anything quite like it,” she said, putting it down to walk over to the other woman. “I’m sorry I’ve got something on already. Thankyou, darling, it’s lovely. And you are lovely, and you spoil me.”
Turning to hand Jess the heavy tumbler of water, Roxana found herself smiling even more brightly almost in spite of herself. "I saw it while we were shopping and it was just perfect. I'm looking forward to you wearing it. Every woman's chemistry reacts a little differently with perfume, you know. The scent will be unique to you."
Jess took the glass, took one sip, and then leaned forward to put it down on the counter behind Roxana, looping her other arm around the woman’s neck so that she could steal another, more lingering, kiss. “And I’m looking forward to wearing it for you,” she confided, her smile soft with just a hint of a teasing edge. Like Roxy’s earlier, it wasn’t the sort of smile that many people had ever had the privilege of seeing.
"You smell wonderful as you are." There was a twinkle in Roxana's eye; she leaned in for another kiss. "But don't distract me too much or I'll forget to ask you about everything that happened. And to tell you about our close scrape with trouble in Naples--not that we were ever in any real danger, just--I don't like having people threaten to sic the police on us. Even if we weren't where we were supposed to be."
Eyebrows leaping upward, Jess leaned back so that she could look Roxana over, up and down, as if she might have missed a sign of obvious injury when she first came in. “Explain,” she demanded, imperious and clearly concerned despite every reason not to be- not the least of which was the fact that the other woman was here in front of her at all.
Roxana threw up her hands in surrender at that tone. "I promise you, it's not so exciting as all that. Lucie thought our contacts were hiding something so she broke into the back of the shop, and neither of us were caught, but we're going to want to avoid Naples for a while. I don't think they even knew we were there. So if you want a trip to Italy, think Rome or Tuscany, that's all."
“Oh, yes, sure, that’s not exciting at all,” Jess said dryly, eyebrows going up. “You’ve really convinced me that I’m the mad one for worrying.”
She shook her head and smiled a little. “I’ll revise my travel plans accordingly. Really, you’re all right? Not hiding some sort of injury, not on any Most Wanted lists…?”
Roxana shook her head. "I don't even think they knew she was there. Or that I was. Just that someone was. But if you need to inspect me to be sure I'm all right, I'm sure that can be arranged." She winked saucily, and then sobered for a moment. "I think you've been at more risk here in Woodsbridge than I've been."
“We may have to arrange it,” Jess agreed with a smile. As if she was going to argue with such an offer. She had the grace to frown, though, as Roxy turned the conversation back to matters at home.
“I’ve managed to survive it,” she said with a sigh, “and without committing any felony break-ins, so I’m one up on you.”
"I didn't commit any felony break-ins." Roxana pouted before relenting, "I don't think it was a felony, anyway. I'm not sure what the difference is under Italian law. But this--this is even more dangerous than people switching their powers. Nobody died from that. Maybe I will take you with me the next time I go."
All right, clearly Roxana was not going to be dissuaded from discussing everything that had happened here, though honestly, Jess would have liked a half-hour without the feeling of unease that had been hanging over the town for weeks now.
“That depends on where you go, and when,” she agreed with a sigh. “Things have gotten...a little dark around here, true, but we can hardly run away and abandon our lives here entirely.” Or she couldn’t, at any rate.
Frowning at Jess' tone, Roxana took her hand, stroking the back of it with her thumb, "How can we make it better? That's the real question. And what can I do to make you rest easier? If it's 'stay away from the woods', that's easy. I'm a town fox at heart."
“Thank Heaven for that,” Jess agreed; and Heaven, too, knew that she preferred not to stray too far from the town lights even in the best of times. Long, long, long gone were her days of riding through the forest. “We’ll start with keeping to the streets for the time being. Other than that...I wish I knew, Roxy. I want to do something, but there are people far better suited for action than me who are evidently at a loss.”
She rubbed her free hand over her face, the other turning over in Roxy’s to wrap around slim fingers and hold on.
“I think we’re all jumping at shadows,” she added, low and confessional. “But then, how could anyone not be?”
"Then we'll be light for now, and drive the shadows away," Roxana said firmly. For all that she really wanted to know what was going on, that was information she could get from her Remnants of Aesop colleagues. And Jess was clearly disturbed, so it was time enough to let the topic go. "Let me put on some music and you can tell me about how school is going, and how the new crop of freshmen are adjusting." That, at least, ought to be a safer topic than the trouble in the woods.
Jess relaxed a little, visibly relieved, and squeezed the other woman’s hand before letting go so that she could work the stereo. “You’d rather hear stories about college freshmen than tell them about your legal doings in Italy? I’m surprised,” she teased, taking her water back to the sofa.
Roxana shook her head. "It was a lot of talking to unpleasant Italian men who were probably lying to us and ogling my legs--no probably about that. And I don't think you really need to hear me going into raptures about the tiramisu at this one cafe off the main square since we're not going there to eat it. Though I may have to find some for sale online and have it couriered here, even if it won't be as fresh or as good." She sighed at that last, making a pouty moue as she joined Jess on the couch.
“In their defense, you have very nice legs,” Jess said thoughtfully. “Next time- if there is a next time, and it sounds as if there ought to be for the tiramisu alone- you’ll have to wear slacks.”
The idea of having sweets couriered overseas made her shake her head a little, though her smile was fond. “We can get tiramisu at the bakery, you know,” she added. “Any time you like.”
"It's never the same." Roxana shook her head again; it was hard to explain. "Maybe I'll make you an elephant's ear instead. When I make something, not that I'm a very good cook, I can at least try to make it right." She kicked off her shoe under the coffee table and rubbed Jess' ankle with her toe.
Jess laughed. “It seems simpler, at any rate. Between the two of us, I’m sure we could manage it.”
The little touch made her shiver, and she reached out to take Roxy’s hand in hers again, playing idly with the other woman’s fingers for the simple comfort of doing it. “I missed you, you know. Very much.”
This was the part of homecomings that was the best: being told you were missed when you were gone. Roxana hadn't thought she might want that until she discovered someone missed her. She leaned over to kiss Jess again. "I missed you too. Do you want me to show you exactly how much?"
That was a promising offer, and Jess couldn’t help but smile in the face of it. “You know what, Roxana? I really think I do.”
She stole another kiss while the other woman was close enough, for the simple pleasure of being able to.
"I can arrange for that," Roxana told her with an impish smile, and proceeded to do so.